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U.S.: Russia Strike On Military Center Near Poland Won't Affect Efforts To Get Weapons To Ukraine; Mariupol Maternity Hospital Bombing Claims More Victim; Documenting Human Rights Abuses In Ukraine; 400,000 Plus Ukrainians Arrive In Romania Since Start Of War; Official: 20,000+ Foreigners Want to Join Ukraine's Fight; China May Be Open to Sending Russia Assistance; Fears Grown Over Russia's Stock of Chemical Weapons; China Experiencing Worst Outbreak Since Wuhan. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired March 15, 2022 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[00:01:30]

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: All right, welcome everyone. We continue our breaking news coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But the very latest, the assault continuing on the capital Kyiv with Russian forces shelling and hitting and striking the outskirts of the city just as this is happening, of course in the South, as well, very intense military activity there with the city of Mariupol there considered a disaster zone. You see there are some emergency services in Kyiv. They're rescuing residents of a residential building.

Well, also in Kyiv, closed circuit video is showing a man walking through a park as an explosion goes off behind him. There you have that video, Reuters is reporting that a bus and several other vehicles were damaged.

And an apparent missile strike hitting the city have Donetsk in the East killing a number of people. The region is held by Russian backed separatists and they are blaming Ukrainian fighters for the attack who are denying responsibility.

Now, Russian forces are encircling at least four major cities including Kharkiv, the second largest in the East. You see where the state of play, what it looks like there on the map.

An adviser to Ukraine's president says the Russians are "wiping out Mariupol in the South". Officials claim more than 2,500 people have been killed there.

All right, let's go now to our Oren Liebermann with the very latest on the situation on the ground, he's at the Pentagon.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Russia is broadening its attack hitting targets both military and civilian. In the capital city of Kyiv, flames pour out of the remnants of an apartment building. Firefighters evacuating the wounded. Russian forces have not yet encircled the capital city, a senior U.S. defense official says, but they are trying.

OLEKSIY GONCHARENKO, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: In Kyiv, itself, everything is OK. There are some shortages but no desperate situation. But in town satellite of Kyiv, some of them are occupied by Russian forces and in some of them, there are fight ins now. And their situation is absolutely awful.

LIEBERMANN: Ukraine's resistance has stalled much of the Russian advance on the ground, the defense official says. And the skies over the war-torn country remain contested. Instead, the Russians have turned to long range strikes.

Russian bombardment pounding the city of Mykolaiv in Southern Ukraine where they've advanced the most. To the West, Russian forces hit a military base used for training over the weekend. Just 11 miles from the Polish border. The strike killed at least 35 people, the local military says and wounded more than a hundred others.

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: What it shows is that Vladimir Putin is frustrated by the fact that his forces are not making the kind of progress that he thought that they would make against major cities including Kyiv, that he is expanding the number of targets.

LIEBERMANN: It is the closest Russian strike to a NATO country, but it will not stop the flow of security systems to Ukraine. Another $200 million in aid approved over the weekend, even as Russia threatens the shipments.

Nearly three weeks into this invasion, Russia has now turned to China for help, asking China for economic and military support according to sources. China denies receiving such requests and Russia denies making one but the U.S. has information suggesting Beijing expressed some openness to providing Russia with financial or military assistance, according to a Western official and a U.S. diplomat. Though it's not exactly clear what type of aid.

[00:05:20]

SULLIVAN: We have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions.

LIEBERMANN: White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held what's being described as an intense seven-hour meeting today with a top Chinese diplomat in Rome, as the Biden administration faces pressure from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to impose even more sanctions on Russia.

The Ukrainian president is scheduled to address Congress virtually on Wednesday, which would be on the eve of the start of the wars fourth week. As the fighting drags on the U.N. Secretary General raising a chilling possibility.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECURITY-GENERAL: The prospect of nuclear conflict once and thinkable is now back within the realm of possibility.

LIEBERMANN: Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.

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GORANI: All right, in Russia, a stunning act of protest that unfolded live on state run television, take a look. With cameras rolling, a woman walks onto this set, holding a sign that reads "no war, stop the war, do not believe propaganda. They tell you lies here. The broadcast then quickly cut away the video.

CNN has now learned that the woman was apparently an employee of the channel and her lawyer sent us this video which she reportedly taped before her protest.

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MARIA OVSYANNIKOVA, HELD ANTI-WAR SIGN ON RUSSIA CHANEL ONE (through translator): This happening now in Ukraine is a crime and the Russia is the aggressor country and the responsibility for this aggression lies on the conscious of only one person. This man is Vladimir Putin.

My father is Ukrainian. My mother is Russian and they have never been enemies. And this necklace on my neck is a symbol of the fact that Russia must immediately stop this fratricidal war. So, our fraternal nations will still be able to reconcile, go to the rallies and do not be afraid, they cannot arrest us all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, that woman held that anti-war sign on state television. They can't arrest us all but Russian police appear to be trying.

One monitoring group says nearly 15,000 people have been detained amid the crackdown on anti-war protests.

In a video posted Tuesday, Ukraine's president spoke directly about the incident, saying he is grateful to those Russians who've been brave enough to speak out and encourage them to keep fighting.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): To those who are not afraid to protest. As long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight, you must not lose your chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Zelenskyy there. Nowhere has the cruelty of this war have been more clear than in last week's bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol. There we saw this injured woman being carried out to be taken to another hospital. The surgeon who treated her said they tried to resuscitate her while performing a cesarean section to save her baby. They were not able to save either the baby or the woman unfortunately, an advisor to President Zelenskyy says the Russian bombardment of Mariupol has killed more than 2,500 people.

Our CNN team in Kyiv reports hearing two very loud explosions around 5:00 a.m. local time. So, just really a few minutes ago, as Russian troops inched closer and closer to the Ukrainian capital, a brave group of people risking their lives to protect surrogate babies in a basement underneath Kyiv has become quite the symbol of resistance.

Our Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley, brings us their story.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is precious cargo, not cash in transit. But we called Baby Lawrence in transit to a new life. Born to a surrogate mother under bombardment in Kyiv, he is raced through the Ukrainian capital to a nursery in the Southwest of the city.

It's perilously close to Russian troops and easily within range of their artillery. This as a gauntlet his new parents will have to run when or if they come here to collect him.

For now, he'll be among 20 other surrogate babies destined it's hoped for new lives in Argentina, China, Spain, Italy, Canada, Austria and the U.S., parting from the child she carried as a surrogate, Victoria is inevitably tearful, her pain intensified by uncertainty.

[00:10:02]

VICTORIA, SURROGATE MOTHER (through translator): It is even harder that he is in a place where they're shelling. And when will his parents get to take him away because of it? It's really hard.

KILEY: This missile struck about 500 yards from the nursery while we were there.

There are constant explosions we can even hear in the basement and the Russian military is reportedly consolidating and planning to push in further into the city from the East. So, the future of these children is even more in doubt. How long will it be before it's impossible, completely impossible for their new parents to come and rescue them?

The nannies here cannot join the exodus of civilians from Kyiv. These babies may be tiny, but they're the heaviest of responsibilities. Antonina's husband and daughter have already traveled to safety 130 miles South.

ANTONINA YEFIMOVIC, NANNY (through translator): These babies can't be abandoned. They're defenseless. They also need care. And we really hope that the parents will come and pick them up soon.

KILEY: An Argentine couple collected their child the day before, but a combination of the pandemic and now war has meant that some have been stuck here for months.

DR. IHOR PECHENOGA, PEDIATRICIAN, BIOTEXCOM (through translator): It all depends on the strength of the parent's desire. I met with parents who came to Kyiv to pick up their baby. They had tears in their eyes. They had waited 20 years for their baby. And there are such couples who are afraid because there is a war going on here.

KILEY: These infants are oblivious to the doubts over their future and the dangers that they've already survived. There's abundant hope that it stays that way.

Sam Kiley, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, Richard Weir is a researcher in the crisis and conflict Division of Human Rights Watch, and he joins us now live from Odessa. Thanks for being with us.

Talk to us about what you've been able to observe. I know you've been traveling around the country. What have you seen since this Russian invasion started a few weeks ago?

RICHARD WEIR, RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Well, really, since the opening hours of the Russian invasion here in Ukraine, we've seen the Russian Armed Forces resort to attacks using unlawful weapons, a cluster munitions, indiscriminate attacks, dropping bomb after bomb on residential neighborhoods, killing dozens of civilians in multiple different cities.

The tactics used in Mariupol to lay siege to that city, trapping hundreds of thousands of residents without water, electricity, or heat in freezing cold conditions where food is running scarce, and very few people are allowed to leave is another example of brutal tactics, which violate the laws of armed conflict. And this has been the real marker. And the real -- the real demonstration of what Russian forces not only are capable of but are determined to do in Ukraine.

GORANI: And are Russian forces deliberately targeting civilians in this conflict?

WEIR: Well, what we have certainly seen is a proclivity for the use of the web -- the kinds of weapons that are not able to be -- that are not able to be targeted in such a way that avoid civilians.

And so, the use of these weapons in populated areas invariably results in civilian casualties, deaths and harm to structures like hospitals. And this is extremely concerning, because this is also something that we've seen in other conflicts where Russia has participated and where it has killed and injured countless civilians.

GORANI: You mentioned other conflicts, the one that comes to mind obviously, is Syria where civilian infrastructure was relentlessly targeted and destroyed over many years by the Assad regime with the help of Russia. Are you concerned that we're going to see something similar play out here in Ukraine? WEIR: Well, in many ways, we're already seeing something play out similar here in Ukraine, and that is really the same kinds of weapons, the use of air power to pulverize residential neighborhoods, affecting hospitals, damaging the ability of civilians, not just to survive, but to flee and to get access to life saving care when those attacks occur.

And one of the other common themes here is that thus far, there has been no accountability for Russia's actions. Although the actions taken by the International Criminal Court and the international community to set up mechanisms in order to hold the perpetrators accountable are encouraging, this environment of impunity has really paved the way for these continued violations of international law.

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GORANI: Yes, and human rights groups, I mean, what Human Rights Watch in particular, what is your message to the world what needs to be done urgently now to try to reduce the horrific, destructive impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure?

WEIR: Well, the international community needs to continue to place pressure on the leaders of Russia and the leaders of the armed forces in order to get them to stop not only these indiscriminate attacks, but to seize the kinds of tactics that trap people in their cities, and result in freezing conditions that endanger their lives.

And the international community needs to work hard to ensure their responsibilities are met, to make sure that humanitarian aid gets to these areas as quickly as possible in order to alleviate the suffering that we see across the country.

GORANI: Well, thanks so much, Richard Weir in Odessa, Ukraine of Human Rights Watch there. Thanks for the work that you do.

Ahead on CNN, a look at a growing refugee crisis for many fleeing Ukraine. The road to safety is filled with sadness, fear and many unknowns.

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VALERIA PAVLIN, REFUGEE FROM KHARKIV, UKRAINE: We have no idea what to do, where to go and when we will be able to return to our homes.

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GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani live in Lviv, Ukraine.

The refugee crisis is growing by the day in this part of the world and the numbers are pretty staggering. And it all happened so quickly too. More than 2.8 million people have now fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. More than 1.7 million of these refugees have crossed into neighboring Poland alone.

The U.N. says the number of Ukrainian residents seeking temporary refuge in Poland is considerably lower. However, with many of those continuing their journey to other European countries.

This map highlights the handful of other nations where Ukrainian citizens are fleeing. Many of the refugees are women, children as well and the elderly.

And to the South of Ukraine, over 400,000 refugees have arrived in Romania since the start of the war.

As CNN's Miguel Marquez reports, the locals appear to be going to great lengths to make them feel welcome.

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MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (through translator): They arrive by the hundreds, normal Ukrainian citizens one day, refugees the next.

PAVLIN: This is stressful, yes. And because we have no idea what to do, where to go and when we will be able to return to our homes.

MARQUEZ: Pavlin is from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city which has been devastated by Russian artillery and rockets.

When I was packing my clothes, she says, I thought it would all be over in three days. For many just arriving on Romanian soil, emotional. One woman cries as a volunteer hands her a bottle of water.

DENIS STAMATASCU, RESTAURANT OWNER AND VOLUNTEER: Well, the Romanian people are mobilized and are (PH) help these people.

Romanians stepping up trying to make Ukrainians fill a little bit at home.

Denis Stamatascu closed he's restaurants in Costanza, he now serves meals free to refugees.

STAMATASCU: We close the restaurant and we come in here to help these people. Chicken, pork -- chicken, pork?

MARQUEZ: And for all those getting out, a few going back in. Alexander Omenka (PH) is returning to Mykolaiv. Russians have hammered the city.

And you are willing to die for Ukraine?

We all die, he says. Then adds, I'm afraid to die. But I'm not a coward.

Tatiana Buketaba (PH) from Odessa along with her daughter Meroslava (PH), their dog and two cats. She says they left because of what they heard was happening in places already controlled by the Russians.

I've heard about the violence, she says, and killings of peaceful people without any reason. She added, I had to leave. I was too stressed about it happening to me and my daughter.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Suceava (PH), Romania.

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GORANI: Well, if you'd like to assess people in Ukraine who may be in need of shelter, food or water, please go to CNN.com/Impact and there are many ways there that you can help. Millions by the way have been raised already.

Still ahead, as millions flee the violence in Ukraine, thousands of people from around the world are racing toward it. putting their lives on the line to help the countries, we'll tell you about them.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just have a heart for these people. Like, I just really want to help them. I don't see my life more valuable than their life.

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GORANI: Russia is ramping up its brutal military assault on Ukraine even as senior U.S. defense officials say almost all Russian advances on the ground remains stalled. The intensifying attacks now increasingly coming from the air.

In one Kyiv suburb, at least one person was killed. Six others wounded after shelling hit a residential building on Monday.

And in the city of Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine, multiple casualties have been reported and what appears to be a missile strike. Donetsk is held by Russian backed separatists.

To the South, Russian forces are continuing their efforts to surround Mariupol. But one U.S. official says Ukraine continues to defend the besieged city, though it is getting harder. That official also says Russian troops moving on Kyiv did not make significant progress over the weekend.

And it's not just Ukrainians taking up arms against Russia. Thousands of foreigners have now volunteered to join the fight, some on the frontlines, and others giving support.

CNN's Jim Sciutto has that story.

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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): One of the bloodiest wars in Europe since World War II is drawing thousands of foreigners to join the fight. Cavy (PH), he goes by his military call sign -- tells us he is a Canadian and veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

[00:30:14]

CAVI, CANADIAN MILITARY VETERAN: When Putin rattled the nuclear saber, he threatened the world with fire. Canada is right between the U.S. and Russia. It's where all these missiles that he's threatening with are going to be flying over. So that's what brings me here.

SCIUTTO: Cavi is far from alone.

ROMAN, VETS BACKGROUND OF FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS: There is more than 20,000 of this military, serving all over the Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: Roman -- he asked we don't show his face for his security -- vets the backgrounds of all foreign volunteers.

ROMAN: Many of them had very good experience, even in hotspots. Yes, serving in hotspots. So, now, maybe, now -- nowadays, there are less of these experienced soldiers, and more -- many of them are more volunteers. They have some militaries service, serving in the peacetimes.

SCIUTTO: Their resumes range from combat experience to no military training at all. Ryan, a 25-year-old from Minnesota, says he served two years with the Marines in Okinawa, Japan.

RYAN, U.S. MARINE VETERAN: I'm a U.S. Marine. If I have to die to help these people, I will.

SCIUTTO: Oskar, from Sweden, has no formal military training.

OSKAR, VOLUNTEER: We are here to help people. Hopefully, it's going to be over, even before we reach the front, before we even need to fire a bullet or save someone with medical resources, you know? That's the best for everyone. But, if that's what it comes to, we'll be there.

SCIUTTO: David, 33, from Canada, says he can help fix tires to keep Ukrainian military vehicles on the road.

DAVID, VOLUNTEER FOR UKRAINIAN ARMY: If it's black and round and made up of rubber, I can fix it. And one of the most important things of the gears of war, is keeping it moving.

SCIUTTO: All volunteers get at least some training, but while some can contribute on the battlefield, others may never see combat.

ROMAN: Some of them don't get -- don't need this training. And some do. And some of -- as I am being told by -- by the military, some of them remain there, in this unit, in this military unit, because they -- they are not apt to this military service. And they -- they just -- they can't go to the war.

SCIUTTO: One additional concern: The risks of deploying and arming thousands of foreign fighters around the country.

ROMAN: They might be dangerous, because such people are always dangerous. But we -- we try to check them. We try to check their biography. We try to check their past as far as we can do it.

SCIUTTO: One definite, and urgent, need for the Ukrainian military are volunteers with combat medical experience. That's what brought Sky Barkley, a U.S. Marine and missionary, to Ukraine, along with six other Americans.

(on camera): You enrolled after 9/11, imagining, I suppose, the war was going to be there. Did you ever imagine yourself witnessing a war in Ukraine, in Europe?

SKY BARKLEY, FORMER U.S. MARINE: No, and it's totally different. This does not compare to a slow simmering insurgency. It doesn't even compare to what we saw with ISIS. Because you're talking about the sheer amount of missiles being, you know, launched across the country. The ability of the Russians to reach out across hundreds and hundreds of kilometers and kill from that kind of distance.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Maddie, another member of Sky's medical team, is a travel nurse from Missouri. Here to help, and willing to put her life on the line to do it, as she's done before in Iraq.

MADDIE HAYES, TRAVEL NURSE: Yes, worries me a little bit. I -- I just -- I just have a heart for these people. I just really want to help them. I don't see my life more valuable than their life.

SCIUTTO: Ukrainian officials make clear, this is not a calling for adventurers or weekend warriors. It is service against a massive and ruthless invading army. Thousands have already answered the call.

Jim Sciutto, CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.

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HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Well, a group of Ukrainian soldiers, whose defiance in the early days of the Russian invasion gained worldwide attention, will now be honored with a new stamp. The Ukrainian postal service said the winning sketch in their competition shows a soldier standing on Snake Island, while making an obscene gesture to an approaching Russian warship.

The 13 Snake Island soldiers grabbed headlines after an audio emerged of them telling off the warship. The soldiers were feared dead, but last month, the Ukrainian navy said they were alive but were forced to surrender due to lack of ammunition.

I'll have more from Lviv, Ukraine, at the top of the hour, but first, let's bring in John Vause in Atlanta.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hala, thank you.

We'll take a short break, but when we come back, straight from Vladimir Putin's playbook. Why the White House, and NATO, fears Russia may be preparing to use chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine.

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VAUSE: The White House has warned Beijing not to offer Russia financial or military aid. This comes after a leaked cable between Washington and NATO said China was open to providing some support for Vladimir Putin's war of choice.

Two sources have told CNN food supplies were among the requests from Moscow to Beijing, including MREs, or meals ready to eat, which underscores the logistic problems facing Russia's military offensive.

During a seven-hour-long meeting in Rome, the U.S. delegation made clear to their Chinese counterparts there would be severe consequences, should China choose to side with Russia.

Live to Beijing now. CNN's Steven Jiang standing by. And Steven, it would seem one way or the other, China will have to pick a side. Help Putin be dragged into a war, or side with the U.S. and NATO and honor the sanctions regime. On paper, one of those looks like a really bad choice.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, John. Ever since the war broke out, they have been trying to strike this almost impossible balance.

But this latest information, as you mentioned, that China's open to consider Russian requests for military and financial assistance, of course, is putting them in an even more awkward position. Because if they do, of course, this is likely to lead to even more tensions between China and the U.S. and the European Union.

But if they don't, and Putin gets undermined or even replaced, in that scenario, in the mind of the Beijing leadership, will probably be an even worse outcome for China, both strategically and ideologically.

That's why the question facing the leadership may be, according to many analysts, whether or not the U.S. and E.U. dare to impose the kinds of sanctions against Russia on China given the much bigger and deeper economic and trade relations between China and the west.

Now, the Chinese, of course, have been pushing back very hard, saying all these reports from Washington are part of the U.S. disinformation aimed at smearing China. That's according to both Yang Jiechi and some of the Chinese officials here in Beijing.

But these leaks from Washington obviously is very interesting, because it came before and after that meeting in Rome, and it really is putting China on the spot. But it's also an indication of how the U.S. is growing increasingly frustrated -- frustrated and annoyed with China on this war.

Because to borrow a phrase -- you know, China's favorite phrase is that is their action, or inaction, do not seem to match what they've been saying, which at least on the global stage, is respecting all countries' sovereignty and calling for peace talks. But instead, what they've been doing is the only thing they seem to be

very active, John, is joining the Kremlin's propaganda and some would say disinformation campaign. Other than that, they're not using their leverage to persuade their best friend to stop this war, which they still refuse to call a Russian invasion -- John.

VAUSE: A lot would say it's a disinformation campaign, I imagine, Steven. But thank you. Our Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang, as always, we appreciate it.

U.S. and NATO officials are growing increasingly concerned that Vladimir Putin, frustrated by a military offensive not going to plan, could order a chemical or biological attack, most likely on Ukrainian civilians.

The president of Poland warned Monday that would be a game-changer and require a NATO response. U.S. President Joe Biden has only said Moscow would pay a heavy price. And at Monday's White House press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki refused to say if the use of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine would cross a red line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You heard the president say on Friday that there would be severe consequences, and the world would respond if they were to use chemical weapons.

And what we have been doing over the course of the last several weeks, if not months, is providing as much information to the global community, to the media, and to others about what to expect.

And when you have President Putin suggesting, and Russian -- Russian officials suggesting that the United States and Ukrainians are the ones who are working on a chemical weapons program, it's clear that this is a pattern that we have seen in the past of them trying to set up a predicate for their own actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: With us now is John Parachini. He's a senior international and defense researcher with the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit think tank which provides the U.S. military with research and intelligence.

John, welcome to the program.

JOHN PARACHINI, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL AND DEFENSE RESEARCHER, RAND CORP.: Glad to be with you.

VAUSE: So in recent days, the big concern has been growing about Putin ordering an attack using chemical or biological weapons. I want you to listen to the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, who explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: They're right now accusing the United States and the Ukrainians of potentially using chemical or biological weapons, which is a tell. It's a tell that they themselves may be preparing to do so and then trying to pin the blame on someone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Which apparently is straight out of the Russian playbook. But these stories about a joint U.S. and Ukrainian chemical lab in Ukraine started last week. So, the Russians, what they want to create some doubt, some confusion, if or when chemical weapons are used?

PARACHINI: So, I think there are two things going on with Jake Sullivan statement. One is, as we've seen in a number of instances, the United States has released intelligence as a way to deter Russia from doing certain things. And we saw that several times prior to the invasion.

I think that's another case here where there's some indication the Russians are seriously considering using chemical agents, and by calling them out now, Ukraine's a little bit of a fire brick.

That the Russians have been lying about the laboratories in Ukraine and the U.S. collaboration with those laboratories is nothing new. The Russians have been doing this for years, and they know full well that these are laboratories that are totally orientated to civilian public health issues.

Indeed, the Russians collaborated with American scientists after 2005 until about 2014 in a very similar way with labs on their own territory.

[00:45:03]

So, it's very clear that they're lying. But it could be a pretext to sow confusion, for them to take action of whatever sort they might like to take.

VAUSE: Yes. You know, the Russians have used banned chemical weapons before. They used Novichok in a number of attempted assassinations.

But on the battlefield, chemical weapons, for the most part, are just weapons of terror. Right? There are far more effective ways of killing people. So does that mean if they are going to be used, are civilians likely to be the target?

PARACHINI: Yes. Excellent point, John. I mean, chemical weapons are really, as a military weapon, often defensive to keep offensive forces from coming at you. They're not very effective. They're very difficult to target to opponents on the battlefield. They're subject to the vagaries of weather. So they're not very efficient.

But they do have tremendous psychological impact. And as we saw in Syria, where the Syrians used them, they really followed bombings and shellings of urban areas. And as the last resort, the Syrians went in to terrify people who had taken shelter in underground basements or subways. And, as the chemical agent seeped down, that's when it got them.

So, if indeed, the Russians take something out of the Syrian playbook, that's what they'll do.

VAUSE: And with this in mind, President Biden has warned if Moscow does go down this path, it will pay a heavy price, while Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says if chemical or biological weapons are used, he would drop his opposition to a no-fly zone. Here he is. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I'm all in. I don't want no boots on the ground, no-fly zone yet, but if there are chemical opens used by Putin, that's a war crime. Then I support a no-fly zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So if this does happen, how should the U.S. and NATO respond? And perhaps more importantly, how do you think they will respond?

PARACHINI: Yes, that's an excellent question. I think it's very hard to know. And I think signaling to the Russians in advance in any other way, other than that it will be a severe and swift response, I think is a mistake. I think what the president has done is he's left the Russians guessing. And I don't think it makes any sense to state exactly what we would do.

And so, by keeping it vague, it should deter them.

A no-fly zone, at the moment, doesn't necessarily deal with artillery coming in or with cruise missiles. Aircraft really would be useful for the Ukrainians to go on the offensive and to strike deep on Russia, but it doesn't really have a defensive purpose at the moment. That could change, but at the moment, a no-fly zone, I don't think deals with artillery or cruise missiles.

VAUSE: John, we shall leave it there, but thank you very much for your insights. Verry much appreciate it. Thank you, sir.

PARACHINI: Glad to be with you.

VAUSE: Still to come, the COVID canary in the European coal mine. Daily COVID infections are rising again across much of Europe. In a moment, we'll explain why that's a reason for concern here in the U.S.

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[00:52:38]

VAUSE: COVID infections are surging once again in Europe, as mitigation efforts are eased, along with waning protection from vaccines and the spread of BA.2, a variant of Omicron.

The biggest surge has been in Finland, marked here in red at the top of the map. Weekly case totals there, up by 84 percent. But, what happens in Europe is often prologue for the U.S. Senior

public health officials are closely watching the numbers across the Atlantic.

Right now, though, in almost every U.S. State, new daily infections are falling dramatically, reaching their lowest levels since the middle of last year.

Right now, more than 37 million people in China are under a lockdown order in five cities where COVID infections have surged: more than 1,000 daily infections over the last five days. China's worst outbreak since Wuhan in early 2020.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins me live from Hong Kong with the very latest. And one of those cities under lockdown in Shenzhen, and that doesn't happen lightly. How serious is this?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No. Yes, and it's very significant happening, because, it will bring about a significant economic toll for China.

Look, we are well into the third year of the pandemic. And China is recording this significant surge in COVID-19 infection. On Tuesday, China reported more than 5,000 new locally-transmitted cases of the virus.

That may seem -- and it is -- very low as a number, compared to the West. But, as you just mentioned at the top, John, this is China's worst outbreak since Wuhan in early 2020.

And if we bring up the map for you, our viewers can see this. That the current flare-up of infection has spread to over 21 provinces and municipalities across China on the last 24 hours.

The epicenter of this latest outbreak is the province of Jilin. And it's in the Northeastern corner of China. It shares a border with North Korea.

Already, hundreds of neighborhoods in the province have been put under lockdown, multiple rounds of mandatory testing have been ordered. We've also learned that travel, both inside and outside Jilin province, has been banned.

Two major cities, meanwhile, are in some form of a lockdown. You've got Changchun, which is inside Jilin province. It's a major city inside Jilin. It's also a major automotive manufacturing hub, as well as Shenzhen.

Shenzhen is one of the world's busiest container ports. It is also a major tech hub, located in the south of China. And we've learned that Foxconn, the major Apple supplier, has suspended operations in Shenzhen because of the COVID-19 situation.

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Meanwhile, we continue to monitor the situation in Shanghai, the financial capital of China. The mega city, home to almost 25 million people. Cases are rising there. Schools are closed.

And within the last hour or so, we've learned from the aviation authority in China that they plan to divert more than 100 international flights that are meant to touchdown in shanghai, to other domestic Chinese cities. That's going to start, starting march the 21st.

This is exacting a major economic toll. I'll quickly bring up a statement that we got from Nomura, staying this. Quote, "China's economy could be severely hit again. The outbreak has now reached almost every part of China, with significant economic importance," unquote.

And John, despite the economic toll, China won't quit dynamic zero COVID.

Back to you.

VAUSE: Kristie, thanks so much. We appreciate that. And yes, why can't they learn to live with COVID?

I'm John Vause in Atlanta. In just a moment, we'll head back to Hala Gorani, live in Lviv, Ukraine, with our ongoing coverage of Vladimir Putin's war of choice.

But we'll sign off this hour with New York's Metropolitan Opera. At a benefit concert for Ukraine Monday night, they opened with the Ukrainian national anthem, heard on radio stations around the world.

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